Claire, I'm Not Your Father
by Goofy-Charli
Summary: Claire needed to clear her head, to think things through alone. Who was this man now? Was he her father? Or was he Sylar? Most of all, which one did she want him to be? The answer scared her more than anything ever had before in her life…


Major spoilers for those who are not up to date with Heroes. I saw the last episode of whatever season it was and I immediately thought of this. It's not really completed but I don't think I have any intention to. I will leave the end up the imagination.

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**Claire, I'm Not Your Father**

'_He's…dead…,' _Claire told herself for what seemed to be the hundredth time, '_Sylar is actually dead…'  
_A week ago she would have been spending every ounce of her time and energy hunting down the crazed mass-murderer, and she most certainly thought she would feel at ease once it was all over…but that was not the case. In fact, she felt more troubled than before. A few things bothered her. The first was coming to terms with the fact that they had succeeded, and believing Sylar really was gone. He had eluded them so many times before; tricked them into convincing themselves maybe, just maybe he could be stopped. They had failed so many times and now it had seemed too easy. Claire couldn't shake the feeling that he was still alive somewhere, somehow.

The second reason involved her biological father Nathan Petrelli. Ever since his duel with Sylar he had been acting strangely. Sometimes he would wander off in his own mind and stare into space like nothing existed but him. He would say things the Nathan Petrelli Claire knew would never have said, and do unusual things too. He just didn't seem like he was _himself. _

The third and final reason, and perhaps the most disturbing of all, was Claire felt almost sad…almost _regretful_ about Sylar's death. She sometimes felt it wasn't that she _couldn't _believe he was dead – but that she didn't _want _to. Slowly, Claire placed her hand over the spot on her face where Sylar had so gently touched her. She thought back to the day in the White House; sitting on the sofa with him.  
_'His fingers…they were so soft…the way he caressed my cheek like that…it made me feel so – so – so…'  
_She remembered how she had wanted to kill him right then and there, avenge the death of so many people, but when he mentioned an eternal life together Claire's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure why, but the prospect of spending forever with him seemed wonderful.  
'_I wonder if he really meant it. If he really did want me..._'  
"Ah! What the hell is this?!" Claire screamed out loud to herself, "Why am I thinking these things? What's wrong with me? He's dead! Dead! He was a _murderer _and now he's _dead._ That's a _good _thing!"  
Claire threw her pillow hard at the ground and stormed out of her room to join the rest of her family outside for lunch. She was sick of thinking the same thing over and over again like a cracked record, and figured some human contact could help her get her mind off him.  
_Perhaps even make me forget about the whole ordeal.  
_ Claire snorted; of course she would have no such luck.

As she passed her parents room, Claire noticed through the slightly ajar door that the light was still on. When she moved closer to turn it off, she heard twos voices speaking in anxious whispers on the other side.  
_'Huh?' _thought Claire, '_What are they doing in there?_'  
The urgency of the situation piqued Claire's interest and compelled her to eavesdrop.  
"…and then he walked right over to the clock and said it was a minute and a half fast? He noticed it from _ten metres _away?! _And _fixed it with a single tap of his finger?" Her stepfather whispered.  
"Noah, really it's nothing." Angela Petrelli replied angrily, "So what if he fixed a clock? So Matt didn't do a perfect job? So what? Nobody is perfect, not you, not me, not…"  
"Angela! This is serious! As much as both you and I want to believe that is really Nathan; we both know it isn't. He may look and act like him, but under the surface his body will always be Sylar. The real Nathan is dead. We have to keep and eye on him, that's all I'm saying."  
"I know…"

Claire was frozen to the spot. What had she just heard? Nathan was…Sylar? Matt Parkman hadn't done a perfect job on _what_?  
'_No…it couldn't be…_'  
She ran outside as fast as she could and nearly crashed right into somebody. Who else could it have been but the very man she wanted to be as far away from as possible – Nathan Petrelli. Claire stared at him and her father no longer stared back. Instead she saw the smiling and incredibly alluring face of Gabriel Gray; of Sylar.

The world began to spin out of focus. Claire collapsed to her knees with a sudden and horrifying realisation.  
"Claire? Claire! Are you alright?!" Nathan yelled as he ran to her side.  
Claire look up at him, her eyes wide in shock, "I-I-I _love _you…" she croaked.  
"I love you too Claire, what's this all of a sudden? Do you feel sick?"  
Claire couldn't take a second more. She stumbled to her feet and bolted out the back gate and down the street. She could hear her family calling after her, but soon their voices became a faint hum in the distance. She knew she had to find a place to hide fast – or Peter and Nathan would surely find her. Claire needed to clear her head, to think things through alone. Who was this man now? Was he her father? Or was he Sylar? Most of all, which one did she want him to be? The answer scared her more than anything ever had before in her life…


End file.
